


Secrets That We Keep

by K_lara7



Series: In A Galaxy Far Far Away [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, Origin Story, Pre-Rogue One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-10-15 08:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10553588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_lara7/pseuds/K_lara7
Summary: Everyone has a begining, this is how Cassian Andor came to be the youngest soldier in the Rebel Alliance.Ages are based on Battle of Yavin ages being:Cassian 26Jyn 23Leia 20





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In the same story group as Homecoming and Collide, but completely independent.

"Are you sure you don't mind babysitting?" Jyn asked for the third time.

Ruscott Melshi laughed. "I don't mind at all. I know what I'm doing. I was 18 when I joined the Rebellion. A few months after that, I assumed the care of one of the refugee children I met on a humanitarian mission. He was a little older than your son at the time, but quite the handful."

"You have a son?" Jyn asked in disbelief. 

"I don't know why you are surprised. You married him."

"Cassian?"

"Yes, Cassian," he responded with a tone that seemed to shout, "You have more than one husband?"

Hesitantly Jyn responded, "I guess you can handle Jeron. Cassian did say to ask you. I just-- your a soldier. And we didn't exactly get off to a good start."

"Shovels aside, girl, you make the boy happy. That's all any parent could want for their child. I know I could never be more proud of him even if he was mine."

"How did you meet him?"


	2. The Refugee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A routine humanitarian mission brings home a new recruit.

Food was scarce on Fest. The Rebel Alliance had sent resources to help, but the need was overwhelming. For Private Ruscott Melshi, it was a stark reminder of all the reasons he enlisted in the fight.

His goal was simple. Pass out relief supplies, listen for possible Imperial movements, and recruit anyone wanting to fight. 

There were other ships willing to take refugees to better planets with resources. So while hundreds lined up, Melshi directed them to the evacuation ships. One boy caught his eye. The child was clothed in rags that had grown too short for him. His brown hair was dirty and covered his eyes. There was so much dirt on his face that it was hard to tell if he had the native tan most Festians did. 

To Melshi the child appeared hungry. And not just in a belly needing full kind of way. There was a fire flashing behind those ratty bangs. He broke rank and made his way over to the child. Kneeling next to him, he asked, "Where are your parents?" 

The child shook his head. "The Troopers took them away." Melshi faught to understand the words through the boy's thick accented Basic.

"How long ago?"

The child didn't answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his feet. 

"Do you have anyone who can care for you?"

The child shook his head again.

"Then I think you should board one of the ships. They are taking people to new homes. They should be able to find a place for you."

The boy finally looked up at him, intense brown eyes staring into him. The child nodded and stepped away, back into the crowd. For some reason, Melshi felt saddened by the encounter. He shook himself and returned to his duties.

An hour later, he found himself still scanning the crowd for the child. So far he had yet to see him board a transport. He was reaching down to tie his shoe when he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. For a moment he thought he saw the child by his U-wing. 

A standard day later saw the Rebels leaving Fest with a little more hope. They landed on Olarian, temporary headquarters for the the Alliance, two new recruits in tow. Melshi spent an hour debriefing with his team, then went to stow his gear. 

As he returned to the U-wing he imagined he saw the child running away from the transport. He wondered if he would ever forget the boy with no family. With a shake of his head, he headed off to his bunk.

Several hours later, Melshi entered the mess hall to see the child sneaking out after grabbing left over food from one of the tables. He was gone before the soldier could catch him. 

The soldier entered the food line with the others and doubled up on everything. Then he took his tray and followed the path he thought the child had taken. It only took him a few minutes to locate the boy hidden behind some crates. 

Setting his tray down, he said to the boy, "If your hungry, I have more food than I can eat. Will you help me finish it?" He saw the little one peek up, then slowly stand, moving forward like he was afraid of a trap.

Melshi held out a bread roll to him. "Eat. You look like you need it more than I do." At that the child almost smiled. "Do you have a name?"

The smile died instantly as the child answered quietly, "Cassian."

"Well, Cassian, I'm Melshi." He held his had out to the lad. "After we finish eating, let's get you cleaned up, and find you some clean clothes."

The child looked down. "This is all I have."

"Oh, don't worry. One of my teammates, Pao, he's about your size. I think he's got something you can borrow. Then we'll find you a bunk in my barracks for the night. Tomorrow we'll find a place for you. That is, unless you want us to find you a home among the refugees?"

"Can I stay here, with you?" He sounded terrified.

"If you stay, you do what I tell you, no questions asked. No going out on your own. Do you understand?"

Cassian didn't really, but he felt safe for the first time since the Troopers took his parents away. He nodded.

"Then welcome home." 

Over the next few months, Cassian blended in among the pilots and soldiers. He ran errands for them and learned all he could about ship repair and blaster maintenance. 

Whenever the teams would go out, they would return with clothing items that couldn't be found on base for a six year old boy. He quickly became one of them. It was by unspoken agreement that Melshi was responsible for him. As long as he created no problems, the ranking officers were willing to turn a blind eye to his existence. 

That all changed by accident two years later.


	3. Transmissions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When 8 year old Cassian discovers a threat to the Alliance, he has to do something. 
> 
> His first steps into espionage.

Cassian was headed to the hanger to when he stumbled into one of the new recruits. 

"Idiot! Watch where you're going next time!" the soldier lashed out, tossing him to the floor. He landed on his backside, arms behind him to catch himself. 

The man kicked out at him one last time, then stormed off in the direction of the dorms. 

The boy picked himself up off the floor, shaking the pain out of his left wrist. Looking down, he found a piece of paper the recruit had dropped. He opened the page. The words on it made his blood run cold.

In a panic, Cassian rushed to the person he trusted the most. Melshi was with his squad. Normally he wouldn't think about interupting, but this was too important to wait. He tugged on the soldier's jacket. When he had the man's attention, he gave him the paper.

Melshi took the page impatiently. Opening it, his brow rose in confusion. He put his hand on Cassian's shoulder and led him to a quiet corner. "What is this?"

"One of the new soldiers dropped it. It has location coordinates and directions for contacting the Empire," the child rushed out, uncomfortable with having Melshi's full attention.

"How can you tell? It seems like gibberish to me."

Cassian took the paper and traced the words. "If you read every third word, then start the cycle again, the words have a different meaning. They give the location of your next mission. If you go to Ryloth, you'll die."

"Did you see the person who dropped this?"

The boy nodded. "It's one of the new guys. I've only seen him around base a couple times."

"Come with me. We need to tell the major about this." Melshi put his hand to the boy's back pushing him toward the command center. 

"Can't you tell them without me?" Cassian asked quietly. 

"No. I can't read this. And you are the one who saw the traitor."

As they entered the command center, Cassian noticed the sandy haired major he'd always taken pains to avoid. He was deep in discussion with a regal red haired woman in white. She had a kind, patient look about her. 

Melshi stepped forward to interupt. "Senator, Major, I apologize for the interuption, but the boy found something you need to see." He gently pushed him forward, gesturing to him to give the page to the officer.

"What is this?" the sandy haired man said. 

"Sir--" Cassian stuttered, "the message gives away the coordinates of Ryloth and directions on how to get this information to the Empire."

"Who are you?" the major asked in confusion as he tried to make sense of the written words.

Melshi answered for him. "Sir, this is Cassian Andor. He's a refugee from Fest and has been with us for two years," he paused. "Cassian, this is Major Draven and Senator Mon Mothma."

"Why was he not sent to one of the refugee camps?" Draven asked, puzzled.

"In the confusion of the evacuation he accidentally boarded one of our U-wings instead of the refugee ships. And since he's been here, he's been helping with the cause."

"Sir," Cassian interupted quietly. "You can't send Melshi and the others to Ryloth. The Empire might know they are coming and set a trap."

"That's certainly a possibility. We need to confirm your decoding and find the person who wrote this."

The boy looked down at his feet before looking through his bangs at the officer. "I know who had the message. I ran into him by accident and he dropped this. Maybe I could follow him and see who he makes contact with."

"That's too dangerous," Melshi almost shouted leaning down. Looking drectly into the child's eyes, he said, "Cass, these people are dangerous. They could hurt you."

"I don't have a choice. If he continues to give information to the enemy, all of you could die."

The soldier started to say something else, but was interupted by a silent hand from the senator. "Why do you think you can find the others in this group?" she asked quietly. 

Taking a deep breath, the boy said, "Most people don't pay attention to me. I can come and go without them noticing. And if they do, they just ignore me because I'm a child."

"If you take on this responsibility, you will no longer be a child. This is dangerous work," Draven warned.

"Sir, Melshi and the others are all I have. If I can protect them, I will." 

"Report anything you find to Private Melshi. Hopefully we won't tip our hand and can find any other traitors before they realize we've made them. Keep your head down, and don't do anything dangerous. "

Cassian nodded, "Yes, sir."

Melshi was still upset several hours later. Spying was no task for a child, especially this child. He never really knew when he started thinking of the boy as his. Maybe it was that day on Fest when he hoped the child found a home. He never expected that home to come in the form of a military base on a planet in the middle of nowhere.

And now they were expecting an eight year old boy to do the work of a spy. "Cassian," Melshi stated seriously, "You need to be careful. These men are dangerous. If they think you are watching them, they won't hesitate to kill you."

Cassian looked straight into his eyes. "I know," he responded gravely, remembering how the traitor had shoved him to the ground. "I will be careful. Do you think he will be in the mess hall?"

"It's the best place to start. From now on, whenever possible, stay with me or one of the other squad members. Don't be a hero." 

With a sigh, Melshi pulled his blaster from his holster. "Here. If your going to do the job of a man, you may need this. It's a T-180, newest model. You know how to use it?"

Cassian took the pistol with shaking hands. The severity of the situation baring down on his shoulders. Nodding he answered, "Yes. Sefla has been teaching me."

"Pao might have a holster that will fit you. I just pray you never have to use it. Promise me you will be careful."

"I will," Cassian swore.

He wasn't trying to be a hero, he really wasn't. As he promised Melshi, Cassian lurked in the background. After he found the recruit in the mess hall, he stayed back doing his best to avoid being seen. 

He watched silently as the recruit, whose name he learned was Josan, met with one of the seasoned soldiers.

Stowan had been on base longer than Cassian. The child had always avoided him as he tended to lash out at anyone who disagreed with him. Today was no different. Whatever Josan was telling Stowan, it wasn't being accepted quietly. A few more minutes and they would draw attention to themselves. 

Cassian used the noise they were making to try and get a closer position. Hiding behind some crates, he finally heard what they were saying.

"Did you send the message?" Stowan asked.

Josan hissed back, "No. I can't get near the communications console. It's very heavily guarded."

"Not good. There's a rumor flying in command about a traitor. I think you've been made. One of the technicians is saying they have a witness, some kid. Draven's expected to call him forward to identify you."

"Some kid? There's only one kid on base. Melshi's brat."

"We need to find him and eliminate him before he can identify you."

Josan nodded. "That will be my pleasure."

Cassian waited until the men walked away. Then he turned down the opposite hall. Making his way to the barracks, he went looking for Melshi. 

A few moments later, he entered the room but it was empty. Stashing the blaster under his mattress, he turned to leave. Opening the door, he stopped abruptly as the two men stood outside his door.

"Going somewhere boy?" Josan said menacingly. 

"I was looking for Melshi," he replied, stepping back.

"That's too bad. He's in the hanger," the recruit sneered back. "I heard you've been spreading rumors, accusing me of spying."

Shaking his head, Cassian tried to deny it. "I don't know what you are talking about." He was almost to his bunk, just a couple more feet and he could reach Melshi's blaster under his mattress. 

On a sudden lunge, Josan reached for him. He stumbled backwards, falling toward his bed. Grabbing the blaster with his right hand, he pulled it forward firing almost at the same time. Even with his hand shaking, he hit the recruit point blank in the chest. 

The man landed hard next to him. Cassian scrambled backwards to avoid the weight. Standing, he trained his pistol on the other soldier.

Stowan stood back, arms raised. "Careful kid. You don't want that going off by mistake." He started creeping forward. "Why don't you give me the gun before you shoot yourself."

"Stop. I will shoot you," Cassian whispered.

"You think you will, but you really won't be able to."

In answer Cassian steadied his grip on the blaster, tightening his finger on the trigger. "Last warning. Any closer, and I will fire."

The soldier took that moment and lashed out with his foot, catching the boy's hand and sending the blaster flying. Rushing forward, he knocked Cassian back to the ground, pulling a knife from a sheath on his leg. 

Cassian threw his hands up to protect his face, the blade slicing into his right palm. He cried out, shoving and kicking with all his energy. Somehow he caught a lucky blow to the soldier's wrist.

Loosing his grip on the knife, Stowan punched him in the face and laced his fingers around his throat. 

Cassian tried to breathe, pulling at his assailant's fingers. As the world started dimming he reached out for his blaster. His fingers caught the edge of the knife instead. Clutching it desperately, he plunged it into the soldiers side. 

The grip around his neck loosened and he shoved himself out from under the man. With one last burst of energy, Cassian caught up his blaster and fired.


	4. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rebellion has to decide what to do with an 8 year old soldier.

The boy looked so small and frail on the cot in the medbay. 

A hovering 2-1B unit had described his injuries in great detail: 

Blood loss caused by a severe contusion of his right hand. Slight concussion where his head struck the floor. A cracked wrist where the assailant had kicked the pistol out of his hand. And a healing hairline fracture of one rib. 

The droid figured it would be several hours before his patient woke up. And the medical team was scrambling to create a personnel file for him.

Senator Mon Mothma sat at his bed side, reading the latest report from another mid rim world with Imperial incursions. At least, she tried to read the report. 

Every few minutes she found herself watching the child. How did they come to this? The Alliance is supposed to be better than this, they don't send children out to fight. 

Draven had petitioned for Cassian to be accepted into the ranks as a cadet, his loyalty proven in his own blood. Mothma was determined he would have as much of a childhood as the Empire allowed. 

Movement from the bed caught her eye just as all the monitors sounded off. Cassian was waking up. She put her hand out to sooth him. "Shh, it's alright, your safe."

He looked around, noticing the sterile walls and medical droids. The cloudy look in his eyes cleared as memories came flooding back. "Did I-," he cleared his throat. "They're dead, aren't they? I killed them," he said dully.

Mothma thought about lying. This was a terrible burden for an eight year old, but she felt he earned an honest answer. "One of them, Josan, is dead. The other, Stowan, is alive for now. If he survives his injuries he will be interrogated. He's been operating for two years. We need to know how much information he gave the Empire."

"I'm sorry, I tried to do what I was supposed to. Someone told them I could identify them." His monitors started sounding again.

"Shh. It's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted what would happen. And thank the Force you could protect yourself. Although I do wish you didn't have to. Where did you get the blaster, and who taught you to use it?"

"Melshi gave me his pistol. Sefla taught me how to use it. He said that as long as I am on a Rebel base I need to be able to protect myself."

"The doctors need to put a file together for you. We need you to fill in as many blanks as you can. That can be done when you a feeling better. I have entered myself as your next of kin."

"Ma'am?" he asked on a confused yawn. 

"As your next of kin, I will know who to call if something happens. You are no longer alone." She stood. "Get some rest. I'll go let your friends know you are awake."

****

Cassian had been out of medbay for two days when Draven summoned him. With shaking hands he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

He stepped into the room to see Draven sitting behind his desk, semi-reclined. The man motioned him to sit. "Come, boy, sit. I don't have a lot time." 

Shaking, Cassian dropped down into the spot indicated. The major leaned forward, now bright with attention. "My team finished decoding the traitor's note. They gave me the same message you did. How did you know what it said?"

"It's a simple code. Every third word, then start again."

"And how long did you wait to give the note to Melshi?"

"Sir? I gave it to him as soon as I found him. Thirty minutes, at most."

"It took my team six hours to decode it," Draven paused. "From what I understand, you're an orphan, your family was taken by the Empire." 

Cassian nodded. "Melshi, Sefla, and the others are my family."

Calculatingly, Draven said, "And you would do anything to protect your family?"

Again Cassian nodded, but Draven wasn't satisfied with a silent answer. "Speak up, boy."

"Yes, sir. I would do anything to protect them."

"Then starting tomorrow I am going to have you working with my cryptographers learning Imperial coding and slicing. There are also physical training sessions you'll be required to attend."

After a moment, Draven came to a decision. "It's very important that everyone knows this was your decision. What we discuss in these meeting must remain private. The mark of a good soldier is his ability to take orders and keep secrets. You do want to be a good soldier, don't you, Andor?"

"Yes, sir," Cassian answered knowing he couldn't just nod his head. 

"I had my slicers create a new identity for you. Very soon you will be rolling out with Melshi's team when they go on relief missions. While they are trading for supplies and running interference with the Imperials, you can sneak around and gather as much information as possible. Only report to me. I'm not sure how that tech heard you had seen the traitor, but I don't want a repeat of such a mistake.

"Your cover identity is Cassein Willix, age 9, son of rich Imperial sympathizers on Correlia. They tend to let you do whatever you want, as long as your tutor, played by Melshi, goes with you. I've been told you are a pretty good memmic. I will be assigning you a couple tutors to work on various accents.

"The requisitions officer has been informed of you unique uniform requirements. Report to him immediately for fittings."

"Yes, sir," Cassian stood and silently left.

Thank the Force, the child was a survivor. The Major never expected his leaked information would lead to the traitors going after the him.

Draven smiled. That boy was his ticket to general.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wasn't intending to write Draven so dark, but he just can't help himself.
> 
> I posted this in a hurry before my drive shift, so I apologize for any errors.


	5. First Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian's first undercover assignment doesn't go as planned.

The first test of Cassian's new skills came from a surprising source.

Senator Bail Organa, of the Alderaan Delegation to Coruscant, requested his assistance. There was a high level Imperial scientific research summit coming up, many diplomats, and their families, would be attending. 

Nine year old Cassein Willix was attending as a family friend of the senator's. Unfortunately for him, this meant a week spent in the company of spoiled Imperial children. It would also lend credibility to his alias. 

One would think it would be easy for a child to mingle with other children. Those children had never taken a life before. But orders were orders, so Cassian would go play at being a child.

He had to go in without a blaster, normal children don't even know how to use one, let alone carry one. 

The senator insisted he dress the part, in a tailored suit, complete with side swipe cape. Apparently, Cassein Willix's parents are very rich and pompous. Strange how no one can remember what they look like. 

After disembarking the Tantive III, the senator and his young guest were shown to private quarters in the main diplomats housing building. A quick sweep of the room found two bugs rather obviously placed, and two others not so easily found. Those were easily put out of commission. 

A friendly list of planned activities was displayed on the table in the main room. Looking it over, Cassian realized he's was in for a busy stay. Mornings were reserved for seminars and private meetings. Children attend a day school of sorts, receiving aptitude testing and Imperial lessons. Family activities were planned for the afternoons and parties are being held every night. He would be expected to attend at least two of these latter activities. 

The first morning he's dropped off by Melshi whose cover for this assignment was bodyguard. Apparently the attendees worried about their children being kidnapped. 

When he walked into the room, all eyes turned toward him. That made him nervous, he's not used to being the center of attention. And he needs to learn small talk. He's used to one word answers, so this is going to be difficult. 

It takes but a few moments for most of the children to loose interest in the newest addition to their group. He takes the time to absorb information. While several kids gather around a protocol droid, he notices one little girl sitting alone in the corner. 

For some unknown reason he's drawn to her. She's dressed in a gray smock shirt and baggy pants. Her hair is pulled back into two messy braids. In her lap lays a forgotten stuffed toy that resembles a stormtrooper. 

Slowly, he makes his way over to her. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She shook her head. Cassian almost smiled, talking to her was like talking to himself. "I'm Cassein," he said, offering a hand.

She suddenly hugged her toy close to her chest. "Jyn."

"So, Jyn, what games you do you like to play?" he asked lowering his hand to pull out a set of Sabbac cards.

The day didn't go as Cassian expected. The older kids stayed together, they seemed to have known each other a long time. To them he was an outsider and they didn't know what to make of him.

That evening he reported to Senator Organa that not much happened at the school. The testing was relatively easy and the staff left the kids to their own. 

For his part, Bail was told by the staff that Cassein Willix was very talented and would make a good candidate for the Imperial Academy when he got older. His testing scores were off the charts. They asked him to talk to the boy's parents and convince them he should be enrolled as soon as possible.

While he promised the staff to put in a good word to Cassein's parents, he filed the information away for later. 

Cassian was disappointed that after a full day of reconnaissance all he had to show for it was a budding friendship with a lonely girl. 

He didn't realize this mission was not about gathering intel, but rather about establishing his cover identity. Cassein Willix was now in the Imperial data base with a basic history. 

The next morning saw Cassian back at the same youth center. As he entered the building, he noticed several suspicious figures on rooftops around them. Three more people in ill fitting robes were skulking in the alleyway. 

He filed this information away, he decided to tell Melshi about it at the first opportunity. 

He never got the chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't mean for Jyn and Cassian to meet this way. They had other ideas though. Sorry for the pseudo cliffhanger. It was a good break point.


	6. Tangled Webs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, young Cassian is in the wrong place at the right time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick update. This story has kind of taken on a life of it's own...
> 
> I may find myself writing Jyn's POV one day. And I am working on the Homecoming sequel, but events in this story need to be told first.

This time he was greeted by Jyn with a bright smile on her face. "You came back!"

He had the gut instinct to tell her he would always come back. There was no reason he should feel that way, but he did. But he refused to lie to her. His destiny was no longer in his hands. He had his orders and he would follow them.

"I'm here all week. Senator Organa is here for an Energy Summit. He enrolled me here to get me out of his way."

Jyn's face fell. "That's too bad. You're the only one who talks to me. The others think I don't belong."

"Why is that?"

"Their parents are commanders. Mine father's just a scientist. And he doesn't want to be anymore. He asked the Empire for a discharge. The Commander said he's needed too badly."

"Is he?"

Jyn shrugged. "He's the guest speaker at this conference."

Before Cassian could respond, there was a commotion at the door. The three robed thugs stepped into the room, blasters drawn. "Everyone. Hands up, move to the back of the room."

Cassian stood, unconsciously grabbing Jyn and pushing her behind him. He backed them up against the wall, trying to make himself bigger, and puffing out his cape to try to hide her. It almost worked. 

The terrorists pushed the adults to the side, one guarding them while the other two went from girl to girl comparing their faces to a holo they held.

Cassian's breath caught as he realized they were looking for Jyn. Desperately he looked around for a way to escape. There wasn't one and they were next.

As the dark haired man approached, Cassian noticed he had a scar that cut across his forehead and ended in his left eyebrow. Staring hard at the man, he committed the face to memory. And then the man was in front of him. Standing over a foot taller than the boy, he almost missed the girl hiding behind him. 

Scarface tried to pull her away from him, but Cassian grabbed his arm. "Leave her alone!"

"Stay out of this, boy. You don't want to get in our way."

"No!" He fought the man harder. His attacker pulled his arm back to slap him aside.

"Stop!" One of the other men, the tallest one with blond hair and an eye patch, shouted. "Grab him, too. We can always use another hostage." He took in the dark red suit and matching Alderaanian sideswipe cape. "Those are some fancy clothes he's wearing. His famiky must be rich. Maybe his parents will ransom him. Let's find out who he belongs to."

The man turned to one of the staff members. "Who is he?" 

"Cassein Willix. He's here with the Alderaan Delegation."

The man got a feral gleam in his eye. "Yeah, they'll pay. We'll make double profit on this one. Grab them and let's go."

"That wasn't part of the assignment, Jarret," the third man said.

"Do not argue with me. Our contact is not paying enough for Imperial entanglements. Let's go."

Scarface grabbed Cassian by the wrists and quickly tied his hands together while the third man did the same to Jyn. Within moments they were rushed out to a waiting transport. 

As they were pushed into the back, Cassian hit the bulkhead first and tried to cushion Jyn's fall. It mostly worked, but his ears were ringing. He sat with his legs out in front, hands resting on his lap, Jyn next to him. She was trembling. "Cassein?" 

"Shhh. It's going to be alright," he lied, pulling her close. It must have been the right thing to say because she seemed to calm down a little.

His mind was racing as he tried to work out any way he could get them out of this situation. The senator might ransom him, but would he help her?"

Draven would probably treat him as an agent lost and since he had no real information of value, there would be no extraction or assassination. There were rumors of other lost agents, he'd heard the stories.

Mon Mothma would have to tell the others he was gone. Would they miss him? 

Jyn was his biggest worry. She was their original target. Why would their kidnappers want her?

The transport ride didn't take long. They were hustled inside a building, down a long corridor and across a control room. Then they were taken down one final hall and shoved into a back room. There had been some preparation for one occupant. A single cot in the corner and one blanket. Surprisingly, the room also had a private refresher. 

The door slammed shut behind them with no explanation. Since their hands were tied in front of them, they made quick work of each other's bonds. After a quick serch of the barren space, Cassian pulled Jyn onto the bunk. The room was very cold. He pushed her against the wall, laid down on the outside and covered them with his cape and the blanket.

They lost track of time. He counted meals instead of hours. At first he tried to refuse eating. Although he knew they had to keep their strength up, the first meal they fed him left him shaky and lethargic. It became hard to move. 

Jyn finally shook him awake. They must have drugged the food. For Jyn's sake, he couldn't loose consciousness again. 

It didn't go well when he refused the second meal. One of the guards grabbed Jyn and threatened to break her arm if he didn't cooperate. He ate the second meal. 

By the third meal, he had a backup plan. He started eating in front of the guards and after they left he made himself throw up in the refresher. No matter how badly he needed the food to keep his strength up, he couldn't afford to lose control. There had to be a way out of this, and Jyn was depending on him. For some unexplained reason, Jyn wasn't affected by the drugs in their food and he was glad she could keep her strength up.

After the sixth meal there was a break in the routine. The man named Jarret came to interrogate Cassian. Jyn tried to stop the man from taking him, but the man raise his hand to slap her.

Cassian blocked the blow. "Don't," he said shaking his head. "Leave it. It's ok. Wait for me?" He didn't want to leave her alone, but this was his first chance to survey the outside. Hopefully he would find a way to get them out. 

They led him down a dark hallway to a room with a communication screen. The other two men were arguing in the corner. Jarret dragged him over to them. "What's the problem?" 

"The Senator changed his mind. He wants proof of life for both of the brats, not just this one."

"Did he say why?"

"He's offering payment for both children, not just his ward," Scarface said. "There's a lot of credits on the table and Crowl thinks we should double cross the Commander."

"That's a suggestion I might consider, if the offer is high enough. What are his terms?"

As the conversation flowed around him, Cassian surveyed the room. There were two doors, the one he came from, and one directly opposite from it. The main computer had a hologram projection pad. One of the men had carelessly set their blaster down next to the pad. 

"I say we take the Commander's credits and give him the girl!" Scarface shouted. "Then we sell the boy. He'd easily catch plenty of credits on a Hutt world."

The leader considered this for a moment. "Do you have a buyer in mind?"

Cassian froze, his mind going numb. Who were these people? 

"Never mind. I'll consider it if the ransom doesn't go well. Maybe we can collect the ransom and sell the boy. Send a transmission to the Senator. Let's get this over with. Bring the brat over here. He's proof enough of life."

It took a few moments for Senator Organa's upper body to appear on the holo projector. Pulling Cassian forward, Jarret opened the conversation.

"As you can see, Senator, the boy is alive and for now, well." He looked down and realized the boy was not looking at the hologram. Giving him. A hard shake he demanded, "Tell the Senator how well you have been treated."

Something, maybe the look in Bail's eyes, told Cassian to stay quiet. There was a lot more going on in this conversation than he was aware of. The man shook him harder, but he refused to speak

"I want to see the girl. There's no deal unless I know she's alive."

"The boy can verify she's alive." Again, Cassian refused to answer. He was using their distraction to come up with a plan. If the Senator continued to demand to see Jyn, they might bring her up here. The pistol was in easy reach. Could he get Jyn, grab it, and blast their way out? Three against one, an he's still working on his aim.

Jarret shook him again. "Answer him!" Cassian shook his head. "Fine. Get the girl up here. This won't take long." 

For a moment Cassian thought he saw Bail nod slightly in approval. It took only a few moments for them to drag the girl into the room. He reached over and clasped her hand reassuringly. 

The kidnappers turned back to the holo of Bail. "As you can see Senator," the leader said as Cassian inched toward the pistol, "both children are alive and well." 

"Now we can discuss terms," Senator Organa said. 

In a quick move Cassian pulled her with him as he grabbed the pistol. He turned toward the men, backing toward the door. Letting go of Jyn's hand he pushed her towards the door. 

Scarface saw them and raised his blaster to shoot Jyn. Without hesitation, Cassian gripped the blaster in both hands and shot him dead. 

It took the other two men a moment to realize what the boy was doing. Before they could move, the children were out the door. 

"Keep running, don't stop!" Cassian shouted turning forward, slamming the door and shooting the controls. He scanned the corridor looking for an out. Another man came down a side hall at them. The boy raised his blaster again and fired. He scooped the man's blaster up, tucking the pistol into his belt. 

This blaster was heavier, more difficult to fire. He took a moment to strip it of it's power pack then dropped it to the ground. They broke through the far entrance and out onto the street. 

Cassian pushed her in front of him. A noise from from behind had him looking back in time to see one of the gang aiming at them. He pushed Jyn to the ground as the blaster bolt struck his shoulder from behind. 

He went down hard. The bad guys were pursuing them. Flipping a switch on the power pack, he lobbed it like a grenade. The overloaded device impacted the ground in a heavy explosion. 

As the dust settled, he grabbed Jyn's hand and ran down the street. A few moments later, they turned down an alley. There was a ladder on the side of one of those buildings. He nudged Jyn forward and they climbed as fast as the could.

Within moments they were at the top. Thankfully, Jarret's men never looked up.


	7. A Job Well Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No good deed goes unpunished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way this story is evolving, I could be upgrading the rating to teen. If anyone thinks I already should have, please let me know.

From the rooftops over Coruscant, Cassian was able to locate the shuttle bay and get an idea of where Senator Organa's hotel was. There was a great deal of activity on the ground. He surveyed the streets around their building, trying to stay aware of their surroundings. 

"Cassein, your hurt," Jyn said, reaching out towards the scorch mark on his shoulder. 

"I'm alright. It only stings a little." He saw a break in the activity under him. Troopers were running towards the blast. The kidnappers were running in the opposite direction. And just to the left was an unused alley. "Come on. I see a chance, let's go."

He led her to the side of the building where there was a ladder down half the side. They were going to have to jump part of the way. "Here. Follow me. When we get to the bottom, wait for me to jump, then I'll catch you."

"I'm scared," she whispered timidly.

"That makes two of us," he said wryly.

"Really?" 

"It's alright to be scared. Fear keeps us alive. Just don't let it control you, "he responded, quoting Melshi. "There's our break, let's do this."

He climbed over the edge and waited for Jyn to follow, helping guide her down. He got his feet to the last rung, then slowly let one dangle as he lowered his hands again. Bending his knees, he dropped the last feet to the ground trying to absorb his weight. He hit the ground a little harder than he expected and fell backwards, slamming his injured shoulder onto the ground.

"Cassein!" Jyn shouted. She was relieved when he started moving. He got to his feet, swaying a little.

"Come on, Jyn, jump, I'll catch you!" Cassian whispered, trying not to draw attention to their escape. 

Slowly, the girl let go of the ladder as she pushed out toward him. As promised, he caught her, almost hitting his knee on the ground. He set her down, grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

They moved quietly down the street keeping to doorways and shadows as much as possible. It took a long time, but Cassian was able to lead them to the shuttle bay. His arm was hanging at his side from the pain. 

He scanned the area looking for Melshi or anyone from the Alderaanian delegation. There was no one there. The Tantive III was in dock, but she was completely powered down. 

After a moment, he led them back out to the street. He remembered the route to the Senator's hotel, but they had taken a transport. This was going to be a long walk. 

"Stop," Jyn said. "We have to treat your wound. You're bleeding pretty badly." She pulled him back into the shuttle bay, making for a small ship in the corner. "Come on. I know where my parents keep their medical supplies. I might even be able to call Mama."

As they reached the ship, Jyn put her hand up to unlock it. She dragged him behind her and closed the hatch. "This way. Our medical supplies are in the refresher."

A moment later she had him sitting down and his shirt pushed back exposing the injury. Cassian fought back a groan. He didn't want Jyn to know how badly he hurt. 

Following his directions, Jyn cleaned the wound the best she could, then applied a bacta patch to his shoulder. She gave him an analgesic for the pain. 

"I'm going to see if I can call my parents."

"Is this their transport?"

"Yes. Papa says we are going on an adventure soon." Her face fell. "But I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Go ahead and make the call."

It took Jyn a few moments to remember how to use the communications array. Once she got through, her mother's face came into view. After a brief conversation with her mother, Jyn returned to Cassian.

She helped him stand up as they moved to her quarters. "Mama says it will draw too much attention for her to come right away. She said help will be here in some form later tonight. Will you be alright until then?"

Cassian smiled weakly. "I'll have to be, won't I?" He laid down on the bed. "The door is locked?"

"Yes."

"Good. We should get some rest while it's safe."

"Alright." Cassian was asleep in moments. Jyn followed shortly at his side.

He awoke to the hatch being opened. Cassian slid out of the bed, without waking Jyn, blaster drawn, and crept down the corridor. He leaned around the last doorway, pistol gripped with both hands. 

A dark haired woman stepped in, whispering, "Jyn?"

Lowering the pistol slightly, Cassian asked, "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "I'm her mother, Lyra. And you must be Cassein. You can put that down you know. I'm on your side."

Cassian lowered the blaster completely, letting it dangle from one hand. The woman stepped further in as she was followed by two men, a man he didn't recognize and Senator Organa. Instantly the fight went out of him. They were safe.

"Jyn is in her room. She's fine."

Lyra smiled. "She did say you took good care of her." She looked him over in concern. "Jyn also said that you were hurt."

"It's just a scratch."

"Well you might as well let her check you out, child. She's not going to feel better until you do," the stranger said.

Cassian looked to the Senator. Bail nodded his head. At his slight gesture, Cassian followed Jyn's mother back to the refresher. In the cramped space he couldn't help but overhear the adults conversation. 

"It's time, Bail. We need to go now while he doesn't know we found her."

"I know, Galen. You won't get another opportunity this good. Once Cassein is cleaned up, we'll leave the shuttle quietly. Anyone who saw you come here will think you are part of our entourage. 

"In a couple days I will put it out that my ward has been found, but your daughter is still missing. I'll make it seem that you and Lyra are searching for her. Hopefully, I can buy you enough time to get to safety. I have an old contact in the outer rim. His name is Saw Guerrera. He'll help you go into deeper hiding. For your protection, you won't want to contact me. I fear my rank brings too much attention."

I can't thank you enough, Bail. And the boy, he will be alright?"

"I'll see that he is taken care of. As soon as Lyra has finished tending to him, I'll take him to my ship. He'll be okay, he's strong."

"He saved us all. If they had taken Jyn--"

"The Force was with them today. I will see that he is rewarded."

"You'll be sure to tell his parents how brave he is?"

Shaking his head, Bail replied, "He's an orphan. But I will make sure his guardian knows that his contribution was invaluable. I will also be very careful to keep from mentioning any names in my report.

"We may never see each other again," Galen said.

"This is true. But we never know. The Force moves in mysterious ways." A few moments later Bail and Cassian quietly transfered to the Tantive III. 

A few moments later the Ersos' shuttle craft left atmosphere. 

Cassian had been back on base for an hour when he was summoned to Major Draven's office. He didn't know what to expect for his first debriefing. 

Nervously, he tapped on Draven's door. "Enter."

Pushing the door open, he stepped into the office. He tried to gauge the mood of the officer before him. Standing at attention, he waited.

Draven stared at him for a long time. "Sit," he finally said gesturing at the chair in front of his desk. Taking the seat, Cassian stayed still.

Draven stared at him even longer, and he fought the urge to squirm. "I just finished reading Senator Organa's report. He speaks very highly of you. From his account, you single-handedly saved a girl from her kidnappers. Somehow you convinced them to take you too.

"And from what I understand of Imperial politics, her father is a major asset to the Empire. The Senator believes the kidnapping was staged to use the girl as a hostage to force her parents into working for the Commander in charge of weapons development. Your heroics prevented that."

Draven didn't sound happy with the situation. In fact, he sounded put out. "I want to know what you were thinking putting your cover at risk. You know you are never to put yourself in the line of fire. And you directly disobeyed orders. You were captured. You could have been tortured and put the Rebellion at risk. Is that what you want?" He waited a few seconds. Finally he shouted, "Answer me!" into the silence. 

"No, sir," he whispered.

The pale man's face was flushed with anger. "Why didn't you stay silent? Why we're you involved in the first place?"

"I couldn't let them take her. Jyn could have been killed."

"Jyn? Why should you care? You don't even know this Jyn."

"She's only six, sir."

"She's another casualty in this war. People die everyday, as you know. Andor, you have an amazing gift. You could bring so much good to the galaxy as long as you don't do anything stupid. Never again do I want to here that you risked your cover for anyone. You obey orders, understand me?"

Cassian nodded. 

"Speak up!" Draven demanded. 

"Yes, sir."

"Good." The major open a drawer on his desk and pulled out a small box. He set it on the desk, opening it. Inside were three little pills. "Every agent is issued a Lullaby at the completion of their training. This is yours. The purpose of the pills is to prevent you from being interrogated upon your capture. Sew them into your clothing. If you are ever compromised like this again, you swallow one of these immediately. It will protect you."

Cassian stared at the box, not really understanding. "How, sir?" 

"It keeps you from talking during the interrogation. Always keep it in a safe place on you." He waited for a moment. "I never want to hear of you doing something so foolish again. Now I have a meeting in a few minutes. Go get fitted for your new uniform is waiting, Private Andor."

"Yes, sir," Cassian said. He couldn't leave fast enough. Grabbing the box, he was out the door in seconds.

Draven turned to the communications projector. "Senator Organa, as requested, I rewarded the boy for a job well done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've never read Catalyst. If I stepped on any Cannon, I apologize. I also have no idea yet if Jyn and Cassian will cross paths again before RO.


	8. Into The Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from bad to worse for Cassian. His training goes off the rails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the darkest chapter I have written. I apologize in advance for how mean I am to our hero.

Melshi entered the barracks room to see Cassian standing in front of a mirror, smoothing his new uniform coat down. At four foot, nine inches tall, the only soldier shorter than the boy was Pao. 

"What's this?" he asked, gesturing to the uniform.

"Major Draven gave it to me. I'm a private now," a mix of fear and pride in his voice. 

"No," he shook his head. "You're too young. I forbid it. Six more years and you can begin the recruiting process. We don't need children in our ranks."

Frustration in his voice, Cassian shouted, " I am not a child. And this is my choice."

Melshi realized that as he had moved in closer to the boy Cassian had taken a defensive stance. The soldier sat down on the nearest cot patting the space next to him. "Please, sit."

He waited a moment for Cassian to get settled then leaned his arm over his shoulder, pulling him into a half hug. "I know you are mature beyond your years," he said sadly. "But I think you should have a chance to grow up before you go to war. You need to decide for yourself, when you are old enough, if this is a fight you want to be having."

"What else would I do? I have no where else to go." He gestured around him. "This is home, my future."

Melshi wanted to argue, he really did, but Cassian was right. No planet was really any safer than another. The Empire was currently doing a great job of making nowhere safe. 

"If you do this, you do it on my terms. Which means, it's time you join the team on the training field. Go grab a bite to eat, and meet us in an hour." Cassian nodded and took off running out of the room. 

Melshi left a few minutes later. He had a mission in front of him. It took ten minutes to be shown into Draven's office. 

"Corporal, what can I do for you?" Draven asked without looking up from his desk.

"I just spoke to Cassian. And I was wondering, sir, what you think you are doing? He's a child!"

The major sighed as he threw his tablet on the desk and finally looked up at Melshi. "Corporal, you are out of line. I will let it go this once, but not again. Private Andor volunteered for the Alliance. He has already shown his incredible ability and strengths. I am not about to waste an asset because you think someone is too young. If you don't think he is ready for the field, then I suggest you help him get there. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. But I will decide how much he learns and how fast. War is no place for children."

"You are treading very close to insubordination here."

"I think Senator Mothma might see things differently," Melshi said, heatedly.

Regrouping, Draven just shook his head. "Yes, she probably would. Very well. You can train the boy as you see fit for now."

"Thank you, sir."

Draven looked put out as he said, "Dismissed."

Melshi turned on his heal, leaving the office for the mess hall. 

As soon as the door closed behind him, Draven made a decision. Melshi's team was needed off world to assist with a long term supply run.

Two days later, Sargent Gorlon Zeen was shown into Draven's office. The major greeted him warmly. "Come in." They shook hands, then sat down opposite each other. 

"So what is this special assignment you have for me Davits?"

Sargent Zeen was not the typical soldier. He relied on stealth and speed to conduct his work. Somehow the charismatic man could go undetected in the most public of places. His dark hair, tan skin and stocky build lent itself to looking ordinary when he wanted to.

And Zeen was known for getting things done, no matter what methods he used. Feelings did not get in his way of logic or the quickest way to completing an objective. 

"I need your help training my newest agent." He slid a data pad over. "The soldiers he's been working with are too easy on him. I need more," he paused fishing for the right words, "heavy handed training methods."

"A child? He's nine?"

"Don't underestimate him. That is the mistake everyone is making. He earned his first medal a year ago undercovering a long term sleeper agent. And he was just privately awarded the Alderaanian Diplomatic Service Award for an assignment on Coruscant with Senator Organa."

"So he's lucky?" Zeen shrugged. 

"Maybe. Then again, he translated a third level Imperial code in seconds. It took my cryptographers six hours as a team to do the same thing."

"I see. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Teach him combat and stealth. I understand he is crack shot with two hands. Perhaps sharpshooting next? You'll have anything you need at your disposal. And here is the pass code to his quarters. He was assigned them an hour ago. Until now he's been bunking with Bravo Squad. That arrangement is no longer conductive to his training."

"When do you want me to start?"

"Tomorrow. I just sent Bravo out on a supply mission. Give them time to ship out. He will need tonight to get settled in."

The next morning, Cassian entered the mess hall to find his fellow soldiers had deployed. Apparently they had left on an emergency supply run and no one had had a chance to say goodbye before they left. He made his way through the line and then sat in the center of the room where his friends usually met. 

About ten minutes later a man sat down across from him. Distractedly, he noted the man was a Sargent. In the back of his mind he thought he should probably salute him, but this was the mess hall and no one stood on ceremony here. It was the first mistake he made.

His second mistake was to assume he could treat this officer the same way he treated Melshi and the others. He would soon learn that this man wasn't like the rest. 

The man looked him up and down. With a dark, menacing look, he ground out, "Finish your meal, boy, we have a lot of work to do." There was no room for arguement. Cassian gulped down the rest of his rations and stood to put his tray away.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To take care of my tray," he said in confusion. 

"I didn't give you permission to be excused. Sit down," he growled.

Cassian sat hard, his tray hitting the table with a lot of noise.

"My name is Sargent Gorlon Zeen. I have been assigned the sole task of getting you ready for the field. Major Draven didn't warn me of how hard this was going to be. We're going to have to start all over. It's obvious that you know nothing about how the Rebellion works."

Cassian stayed quiet, not sure what answer he was supposed to give. He'd thought he was making progress. The Major wouldn't have given him the rank of private if he hadn't earned it, would he?

"Your lessons will be private matters. You speak of them to no one. Understand me?" Cassian nodded silently. "Remember, a good soldier keeps the secrets they are entrusted with. Meet me in the training room in half an hour," with that parting comment, the Sargent departed the hall.

As he tentatively entered the room, right on time, Zeen shouted, "You're late!" It would take time, but he would soon learn that he would never do things right the first time, and the punishments would be swift and harsh.

The punishment for being late, or being early, which meant everytime Cassian showed up, was a slap to the underside of his wrist with a flat stick. The penalty was measured out so often that he learned to clench his fist to minimize the pain. He learned that flinching in any way merely added to the torment. 

Training days were long, arduous affairs that usually ended with the boy limping to his room, avoiding people in the hallway. He didn't want to explain to the others what a terrible soldier he was. If only he could fight harder, stronger. Zeen was never happy with his performance. 

His quarters were supposed to be a refuge, yet he never knew what to expect when he got there. Some days the room would be ice cold, others would be scorching hot. The cold was better as he could bundle into his coat to get warm. Since Sargent Zeen had the code to his room, he never felt safe there. 

On a few occasions he came back to find the place had been turned upside down. Zeen was always there a few moments later to discipline him for the messy state. He worked very hard to keep the space organized and sparse. Somehow the Sargent always found something to criticize.

It didn't take long before Private Andor found himself in the medbay. 

The first time he was injured, Doctor Val Tomin treated the bruises without comment or suspicion. The second time, so soon after the first, she began to document his injuries in detail. Then came the third time when he arrived with a broken wrist. This time she confronted him about how he received his injuries. 

His answers were vague, he fell off a ladder or tripped over the U-wing landing gear. The explanations didn't fit either. 

In her concern, she made a grave miscalculation. She issued an ultimatum, ""If I see you in here one more time, I'm going to have to report this to your guardian." As overworked as she was, she never noticed the boy didn't return.

When the junior requisitions officer noticed irregularities in the medical supply manifests, he just assumed it was a clerical error. 

No one noticed when the stopped eating. He would come into the mess hall and grab a tray, load it with a small scoop of the current sludge that served as dinner. Then he would slip off to the darkest corner of the room, his back to the wall. Often times he would dump the tray with the same amount of food on it that he started with, unable to take a bite.

As time went by, Cassian learned to move quietly in the shadows, so as not to draw attention to himself. Loud noises tended to make him jump. He soon learned to rely upon no one. The final lesson he learned was to always obey orders. The consequences for failure were extremely harsh.

Melshi would have noticed the pattern, but Draven kept Bravo Squad off world as much as possible. When the Corporal returned to base he was too tired to hunt the boy down and didn't notice the change in him until he was merely a ghost of the child he had been. By then, it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not sure about the rating. 
> 
> I am sorry. I didn't want to write this chapter. Things will get better, but that's a couple years down the road for Cassian. 
> 
> If anyone wants to yell at me, I broke down and registered on Tumblr as K-Lara7. (I'm still trying to figure out how it works.)


	9. Babysitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Cassian has no idea what he has gotten into when he assigned babysitting/ bodyguard duties to royalty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done my best to edit this, but I'm working off my phone, which is very old and has been dropped one too many times. Apologies in advance for any errors.

The latest meeting of the Alliance Council required Senator Bail Organa to bring his six year old daughter, Leia. Normally she would stay at home with her mother, but this time Breha was involved in her own politics on Alderaan. 

He had to figure out what to do with her while he conducted his meetings. His little rebel girl was just too young to be involved. Ahead of the meeting, he contacted Mon Mothma and asked for her assistance. The decision was made to draft Private Andor into babysitting. 

Now the senator found himself searching the mess hall for the young man. Although it had been three years since Bail had last seen him, he recognized Cassian right away. The boy had not changed much. He was still slight of build and short for his age. But now, he was almost too thin. There was a fragile air to his movements. 

He tried to blend into the scenery, and for the most part he was successful. It was perhaps only because Bail was looking for him that he found him. Cassian was sitting in his usual spot with his back to the wall. Surreptitiously, he scanned the area around him, as if he could predict a threat. 

As he came up to the table, Cassian looked over and saw him. The boy immediately jumped to attention, having learned not to disrespect a higher rank, his face expressionless. 

Bail waived him back to his seat, concerned by the changes he saw. The child he remembered, serious but young, was gone. He had been replaced by a young man, going through the motions of proper behavior. It broke Bail's heart to see how different he had become.

"Cassian, it's good to see you."

"You too, sir," he answered, stifly.

"Please, drop the formality. I hope we are still friends." Warily, looking for the trap, Cassian nodded. "Good, because I have favor to ask, and I trust you." 

Cassian stiffened even further, anymore and Bail thought he might shatter. The moment was broken by Leia. She had come around her father to clasp Cassian's hand. The boy jumped, not having noticed her presence. "Papa, I like him."

With an indulgent smile, Bail said, "My daughter, Leia. She's a bossy one, you better watch out."

Looking up at Cassian she said, "Papa thinks I need a keeper. He thought you might volunteer for the chore."

Nervously, Cassian answered, "I'm sure you're not a chore. But I don't think I can do it." Leia started to pout. He stuttered, "It's not that I am against it, I just don't think Sargent Zeen will allow me to. I have target practice and combat training."

"I'm sure he can spare you for a few days."

Panicked, he responded, "No, no, sir. He--," Cassian paused, regrouped his thoughts and continued, "he gets upset if I shirk my duties, sir."

"I see," the senator said, very much afraid he did. He had never known the boy to avoid anything. "If I can get his approval, do you have any objections to watching Leia for me? It's a duty I don't trust to just anyone."

Leia looked up at him hopefully. "Please! We could have so much fun! And I could introduce you to 3PO and R2. They're my droids."

For just a moment Cassian smiled, Leia's enthusiasm infectious. "It would be my honor, your highness." At that Leia giggled. 

"Why don't you two talk for a little bit, I will go talk to Draven," Bail said, realizing he had already been relegated to the background by his daughter. 

Senator Organa entered Draven's office without permission and took a seat across from him. Without preamble, he said, "I'm to borrowing Cassian for a while. Saw Guerrera is on his way here for negotiations and I had no choice but to bring my daughter with me. The boy can help me watch her."

"I'm afraid, sir, that won't be possible. There is another mission planned and he is an integral part of it," Draven refused. 

"What is this mission? Another assassination? Had I known you planned to use Cassian as a killer, I would have taken him to Alderaan with me."

"He volunteered for this. You would not have been able to stop him."

"Unfortunately, we will never know. But in this, I am pulling rank. Besides being the head of Alliance Intelligence, I have the full support of Fulcrum. Do not make me prove it. You would not like the consequences."

"Fine. Take the boy. But I need him back as soon as his services are no longer needed. He's the best cryptographer I have," Draven grumbled.

"Make sure I am notified the moment Saw enters the system," and with that, Bail swept out of the office back to the mess hall.

The scene that greeted him was much different than the one he had left. The two children were laughing. It was a very rewarding sight. 

Watching Cassian with Leia, Bail was reminded of another time, another place, and a different six year old girl. He remembered a younger boy, who smiled more frequently. One who didn't live in shadows. 

Bail failed to notice Sargent Zeen watching the children, a furious look on his face.

That night, as Cassian entered his quarters, it was to find them already occupied. Zeen was waiting for him, the punishment stick in his hand. "Draven was given no choice but to allow this arrangement with the Alderaan leader. But it sets a very important mission back weeks. You need to refuse this assignment."

"I can't. I already told him I would do it."

"We don't have time for this! Saw Guerra is enroute here. We need to leave before he arrives." 

"I'm not going with you. I've already committed to this assignment."

Zeen grabbed him tightly around the wrists and shoved him into the wall. A sharp stab of pain went through Cassian's head as it made contact. 

It took a moment for the soldier to calm down. The boy knew better than to argue with him. That's what made him a good asset. "Fine. But there will be consequences for disobeying me," with that he stormed out of the room.

Cassian let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding. As he rubbed his wrists, something told him that was too easy.

Morning came and with it, a strange excitement. It had been a very long time since Cassian had actually looked forward to something. Today he was meeting Bail and Leia in the mess hall. He dressed quickly and left the room.

"Cassian!" Leia shouted as soon as she saw him. In a flash of white she went running toward him. 

"Good morning, Princess," he said formally as the little sprite hugged him around the waist. Her whole body hummed with the energy only a young child had. The soldiers around them smiled at the uncomfortable look on the boy's face. 

"Come on, I brought my dolls. We can have a tea party."

Alarmed, Cassian showed every 12 years of his male existence when he replied, "Uhm--- yeah. A tea party sounds fun," as if he was going to his own execution. Oblivious to the turmoil she caused, Leia dragged him over to her father's table, right in the middle of the room.

The open space freaked him out. Anyone could attack from any angle, they'd be sitting ducks. Quietly he suggested to Bail that they move to his table. With a troubled look, the Senator agreed. 

Cassian relaxed a little with his back against against the wall, scanning the room for any possible threat. His hand kept gliding over his small blaster attached to his hip. He picked at his food. 

Leia sensed his mood and tried to cheer him up. She was telling a story about her droids and soon Cassian relaxed enough to finish his meal.

"I have a meeting later this afternoon with Saw Guerra. He's a leader of another rebel faction. As far as I am aware, he is bringing his ward with him." Bail looked directly at Cassian. "You know her from our time on Coruscant. While she is here, please address her as Kestrel. And as for your identity, stick with Cassein. You were undercover at the time. My staff will provide you with appropriate Alderaanian attire. We want to maintain Willix's cover story for now."

"Yes, sir."

"Normally I would remind you to drop the formality, but around Saw it's better if you don't. He tends to get nervous if anything seems out of place. While Saw is here, make sure you don't leave Leia's side for any reason."

A few hours later, Bail came to get the children from his daughter's quarters on their ship. He was greeted by the site of young Andor draped in some of Leia's more outrageous dress up props. The poor boy didn't look uncomfortable, though, just surprisingly happy. Too bad he had to interupt. 

"Saw has arrived. We should all go to the war room. After we get the pleasantries out of the way, you children will be dismissed to your own amusements. Cassian, I trust you to keep the girls in line."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought Cassian could use a break... so I sicced the girls on him. :) 
> 
> There is a picture floating on tumbler about how Leia and Jyn met during a meeting with Saw and Bail. I decided to write my version of that scene into this.


	10. Fractures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting between the Partisans and the Alliance doesn't go as planned. ~14 BBY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't read Rebel Rising yet, but I did read on the cover that Jyn was 5 when her mother died. My head cannon from the movie was 7 or 8, so adding 15 years would make her about 23. And since I started with that time line, I'm sticking to it.

From the corner of the room, Cassian silently observed the meeting. Saw Guerrera was standing on the far side of the projection table with his ward. Although he hadn't seen her since the mission on Coruscant, he recognized her right away. She was different, harder around the edges. The last few years had been rough on her. 

As he looked at her, Jyn's eyes locked on his. She had been searching the faces around her. There was the senator who had been a friend of her parents. His young daughter stood next to him. The major, a pale man with brownish red hair stood next to a dark haired sergeant. The boy from her memories lurked in the shadows. Had it not been for the vibrant pale blue of his tunic and matching side cape, she might not have noticed him. 

It had been a long time, but she doubted she could forget him. Often in the last three years she wondered what had become of him. As the adults talked around her, she looked him over. 

After a few pleasantries were exchanged, Bail motioned for Cassian to step forward. "Saw, Kestrel, allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Leia. And this is Cassein Willix, the son of one of my dear friends." Cassian stepped forward and pushed his hand out towards Saw. The man ignored it so he let it drop to his side. "I thought the three children might play together while we talk." 

"That should be fine," Saw replied. "Kestrel go with him. I'll come find you when I am done here."

"Yes, Saw." 

Just as they were leaving she looked up to see the sergeant staring at her, a malevolent look in his eyes. It reminded her of the man in white, a feeling that made Jyn's skin crawl. Then he turned his face to Cassian exchanging a silent message with him. Jyn couldn't read his expression. She made a mental note to steer clear of him.

The edgy feeling wouldn't leave her. The man gave her the creeps and she had an urge to break things. Maybe she could get the others to do some target practice with her.

Cassian knew this was a bad idea. Whatever did Bail think he was doing? There was no way he was going to be able to keep the girls in line.

Children and guns just don't mix. It was why, at Bail's request, he had chosen to leave his blaster in his room. He certainly never expected Jyn, or rather Kestrel, to be carrying one. As much as he dreaded Leia's tea parties, they were safe. But Jyn had this idea that she should keep her skills up while the adults negotiated. 

So now he found himself standing outside the base watching as Jyn set up her "target practice", which turned out to be a disabled KX security droid. Reluctantly he helped her drag the hardware from Saw's ship to the edge of the fence. “This is a really bad idea. I think we should find something else to do.” 

Leia stood back and watched wide eyed as her protocol droid kept repeating, "Oh dear, oh dear." The little astromech droid made disapproving whirring sounds. 

It didn't take long before the target was set to Jyn's satisfaction. She turned to Cassian. "Which one of us gets to shoot first?" 

He just shook his head. "Your droid, your shot. I'll just watch over here."

"I thought you were going to practice too."

"No. I'm supposed to keep you two out of trouble, not help you break the rules."

With a sour look on her face, Jyn finally gave up. "This is no fun if you won't compete with me. So what do you think we should do?"

Before Leia could suggest dolls or tea parties, again, Cassian said, "I could show you the inside of one of the U-wings. Captain Dreis has been teaching me the controls."

With a shrug, Jyn nodded. "Sure. We can always do this later. Maybe when she goes down for a nap." Leia stuck her tongue out at that. 

Before the two girls could start another argument, Cassian led them to the hanger. Several of the pilots waved at him as he went by. He led them to one of the ships that was currently being worked on. 

Jyn moved cautiously to the front of the ship. It was older, but in better shape than the rust bucket Saw flew. Leia stood in the back, reluctant to move forward. Cassian tapped her on the arm, motioning her forward. Then he sat in the pilot's seat. 

He started explaining the controls as he had been taught. As he reached up to tap the hyperdrive controls, his sleeve fell back and exposed fresh bruises around his wrists. Without realizing she did it, Jyn reached out a hand to better expose the marks. He quickly dropped his hand and pulled the sleeve back into place.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Nothing, I'm just clumsy," he said, unable to come up with a convincing lie. He silently cursed the Alderaanian robes. His uniform jacket would normally have covered them without a problem. 

"Those look like finger marks," she pressed.  
"They aren't." When it looked like she was going to continue, he said testily, "Drop it, alright? I made a mistake and there are always consequences for them. I just don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. I won't ask." Looking over at Leia, Jyn realized she wasn't the only one who saw the marks. Maybe Leia's father could do something about it.

Turning her attention forward, she listened carefully to the lesson. The day could come when she might need to know it. It didn’t take long before the three of them were engaged in conversation. Cassian was actually enjoying their time on the ship.

About an hour later, C-3PO reminded them about lunch. They had just stepped out of the ship when Sergeant Zeen called out to him. "You, boy, I need a word with you." 

Cassian turned toward the voice and acknowledged the speaker. He looked back at them and gestured for them to continue, his hand shaking. "Leia, show Kestrel where the mess hall is. I'll catch up to you in a few minutes." 

As she was being led away, Jyn looked back in time to see the vicious man from the conference room yank at his arm. He couldn't hide the wince. They were arguing, but Jyn wasn't sure what it was about. She started to turn back. A frantic shake of his head had her reconsidering that action. If she interrupted right now, she might make things worse. Lifting her head fractionally, she let him know she wouldn't do anything. For now, she would watch and wait. 

Reluctantly, Cassian followed Sergeant Zeen down the hall to a supply closet. Entering the room first, he turned around to face the man. “Sir, I need to get back to the girls. I’m assigned to stay with them.”

Sneering, the soldier said, “You can play with your friends when your work is finished.” He handed him a data pad. “Draven needs you to translate this message for him. His coders have been working on it for hours.”

Impatiently, Cassian grabbed the tablet and started reading the text. It only took moments to decode the message and hand the tablet back. “Now can I get back to my assignment?” 

“Don’t get smart with me. This is what you are supposed to be working on. How you got assigned babysitting duty, I will never understand. I’ve got to get this to Draven. Stay here. I’ll need you to translate Draven’s response as soon as he composes it.” 

As he turned to leave, Cassian said, “You can come find me when you need me to do the coding. I need to get back to J—Kestrel and Leia.” The boy made to leave the room. 

Zeen grabbed his arm roughly and shook him. “You will do as you are told.”

For the first time ever, Cassian fought back. “I am doing as I am told.” He shoved back, trying to break the hold on his arm. In a fit of rage, the sergeant shoved him back into the shelves toppling them down on him. His head hit the floor, and the world went black.

&&&&&

After several hours went by without a sign of Cassian, Jyn grew concerned. He didn’t seem to be the type to abandon his assignments. She could either tell the adults, or go looking for him herself. Since Saw was still in his meeting with Bail’s father, Jyn decided to find Cassian on her own. 

She traced her steps back toward the hall where they had been met by the sergeant, then headed down the hall she had seen them use. Strangely, there wasn’t much down that hall. The corridor ended abruptly just a few feet away. There was also no one around so Jyn started searching each room. None of the rooms were locked, and most held an assortment of junk. The fourth door she tried didn’t want to open. Something was blocking it, so she squeezed around the door, almost tripping on Cassian.

He was sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. Several crates and broken shelves were piled on top of him. “Cassein!” Frantically she moved to pull the boxes off him. After a few panicked moments, he woke up. “Cassien! Are you alright?”

He tried to sit up, putting his hand to the back of his head. There was blood matted in his hair. “I’m fine,” he automatically answered. Trying to push himself to stand, Jyn came up to his side and put her arm around him. 

“Where’s you infirmary?” she asked.

“No! No doctors. I’m fine. I just need to get cleaned up.” He looked down his ruined clothing, blood stained and torn. “The senator is going to be furious with me.” Looking at Jyn he asked, “Where’s Leia?” 

“Her droid took her to go get ready for bed. I imagine she’s on her father’s ship.” She looked him over. “If you won’t get checked out by a doctor, we need to find a way to get you patched up. You’re bleeding.”

“The bleeding has already stopped. We just need to get you back to Saw, and then I’ll get this taken care of.”

“You’re sure?” He nodded letting her take the lead. They didn’t pass anyone on their way to the hanger and when they got to the door Cassian sent Jyn ahead without him. 

“You go on ahead. I don’t want to see anyone looking like this. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Reluctantly, she followed his directions. He watched her greet Saw, getting a half hug from the big man. Silently, he made his way to his quarters to raid his stolen med kit.

Somehow he managed to avoid any unwanted attention and by morning he was feeling more himself. In the morning, a new set of Alderaanian robes had been delivered to his quarters. After dressing, he headed to the mess hall where there was quite the sight. Sergeant Zeen was down on the ground in a fetal position. The soldier was clutching his front while Jyn stood over him, a triumphant look in her eyes. She glanced up at Cassian and winked. 

The sergeant was escorted to the medbay, screaming at the girl who attacked him. Kestrel claimed he had grabbed her and she accidently kicked him. An argument ensued between Draven and Saw. 

The major accused a Partisan of attacking one of his soldiers without provocation. Saw refused to accept such an insult, and vowed never to work with the Alliance again. No one would ever accuse his people of acting without honor. Hours later, Saw Guerra and his Partisans left the rebel base. 

Two days later, on recommendation from Senator Organa, Sergeant Zeen was demoted to Corporal and reassigned to another base. The official disciplinary report cited an internal conflict that led to the breaking of an accord between Saw Guerra and the Rebel Alliance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my head cannon on why Saw broke with the Alliance. The only one of the new books I've read besides Rogue One is Ahsoka.


	11. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian finds his own project.

The first few months after the Partisans left and Zeen was reassigned were almost like a vacation for Cassian. For the first time in years he had time to himself. He still had his time in cryptography and his combat training. When those were over, the evenings were his.

A few days into the calm, he remembered the broken KX droid Jyn had left behind, which he found a home for in a quiet corner of the maintenance bay. He became obsessed with the idea of being able to fix it, staying up late into the night working on it.

The hardware was beyond repair, but the software was completely intact. Although he knew the likelihood of ever having a good KX chassis to work with was non-existent, he became obsessed with redesigning the program. Perhaps the Alliance could use his work to disable Imperial technology. 

Oftentimes Melshi would find the lad curled up asleep in the corner of the maintenance bay, having fallen asleep mid project. The soldier had forbidden anyone from waking him unless absolutely necessary. For the first time in months, Cassian rested.

A few times the hardened soldiers and pilots would be interupted from their work by laughter when the droid responded to a program change. Soon the others were lending their tools and knowledge to try to help the project along.

Draven took an instant dislike to the droid project, even going so far as to attempt to shut it down. General Dodanna overrode that decision. His belief was that understanding Imperial programming of any kind would help the Alliance. The fact that the droid's body was too badly damaged to repair was also a factor, as it rendered the droid useless as a weapon.

Almost everyone on the base left him alone with his project. Princess Leia was the exception. She would often pop into his space and hassle him with questions. "Does it have a name?"

"It's a KX series, so I've just been calling him Kay. I haven't finished repairing him yet, so I don't know if he has a different name."

His work space was made up of unused crates. A long short one for a bench and a taller, broader one for a table. The droid, or what was left of him, was laying in pieces. "How does it work?"

Cassian turned the head piece backwards and opened a small compartment. Carefully he pulled out a control card, not much bigger than a regulation dogtag. Holding it up he said, "This piece contains all the software, or personality of the droid. It can be placed in any KX body. That hardware then takes on the life of the software card."

Putting the card back, Cassian activated the droid and it spoke to him. The disgruntled security droid was unhappy to learn that he, and the droid made it clear it was a he, had no mobility. They were bickering rather fiercely, while Leia watched in amusement, when Major Draven approached.

The man's perpetual scowl was in place when he noticed the carefree look of triumph on the lad's face. He almost took pleasure in removing it. 

"When you are finished playing here, come to my office. I have an assignment for you," he snapped as he walked away. 

Cassian's eyes were downcast as he started cleaning up his tools. "Cassian? That man, he is your commander?" the droid, asked.

"Yes. And I am honestly surprised it's taken him this long to find me a new assignment."

"I don't like him." 

Cassian burst out laughing. "Shh. You shouldn't say things like that. But you are not alone in that opinion." With a resigned sigh, Cassian stood. "I better go. I'll have to switch you off while I am gone."

"Well, I have nothing better to do without a functional body or anyone to talk to."

"I'll be back as soon as possible," he told Leia as, reluctantly, he made his way to his Draven's office. 

Immediately coming to attention in front of the major, Cassian said, "Reporting as ordered, sir."

"At ease," Draven said, remaining seated. "This won't take long. I have been reviewing your evaluations from different officers. In them is a recommendation for promotion. I am hereby granting that request. Congratulations, Corporal."

Stunned, Cassein stammered out, "Thank you, sir."

"Looking over your performance record, I notice your marksmanship score is passable. I have put in a requisition order for a new, more fitting rifle for you." He looked down at a file on his desk. "Bravo Squad will be shipping out in the morning on a mission. Your specific skills set has been requested by Sargent Zeen who is currently on site. Be ready at 0600."

With a nod, Cassian replied, "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." As Cassian turned to leave Draven said, "By the way, the work you did with the KX programming is remarkable." Cassian grinned as he left the office.

Draven walked over to the door and called over one of the janitors. "At 0800 tomorrow morning, dispose of the broken Imperial droid in the hanger. It's damaged beyond repair."

"Yes, sir."

****

 

Cassian surged up in his bed, throwing the nightmare off him. He couldn't get the officer's face out of his mind. He had seen his face through his rifle scope. For a moment he had hesitated. Then Zeen ordered him to take the shot.

It was supposed to be a simple extraction mission. Squad B would go in to retrieve their captured forces. Cassian, under Zeen's supervision, would provide cover fire. In reality, Cassian was assigned an assassination. 

The target was a high ranking Imperial officer responsible for the mining destruction of a small moon. The whole thing was over in moments. 

Unable to go back to sleep, Cassian shrugged off his blanket and stumbled out of bed. He threw on work overalls and made his way down to the hanger. Hopefully his project would keep his mind off the the man he murdered.

He turned a corner towards his workspace and found it empty. Even the crates he had been using were gone. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned back to search the hanger. Perhaps the space was needed in his absence and his project was moved. To his shock, he found the remains of the droid crushed in the garbage pile.

In shock, he ran as far as he could, out of the base and into the wilderness. Silently, away from all witnesses, he cried himself to sleep.

By morning he had resolved himself to the loss of his work. Not one of the soldiers said anything to him about it. 

The next few weeks he poured himself into his training. He became the best sharpshooter and analyst Draven had. Soon he was planning missions and targets. 

His only bright moment was when Leia placed a chip in his hand. "I wasn't able to save the droid, but I was able to keep his memory. I hope it helps." She left him staring down at the KX memory card.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. The good news is that the next chapter is almost finished so it should be up soon.


	12. On His Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian gets his first deep cover assignment.

Over the next couple years, most of Cassian's assignments involved scouting and infiltration. One of the teams would be sent on supply runs and he would "wander off, bored with the work." It was a good cover that worked most of the time. 

Usually he would fade into the crowds of locals and listen in on their conversations. Sometimes he would plant explosives in strategic locations. He excelled at picking pockets to steal Imperial codes and scan docs. Occasionally he looked through his scope and fired at a target.

Then there were a few missions that required a lot more effort. One such mission was into the Imperial weapons factory on Balmorra. The primary refinery unit was staffed by orphaned children, many of whom were sold into slavery. Some of the children were sold by their parents, but quite often they were kidnapped for profit. Of course, the Empire didn't look too closely at the origins of their labor.

This particular assignment called for an inside agent to scout the facility and look for possible weaknesses. If feasible, the agent would try to sabotage it from the inside out. 

Cassian, as the only Alliance member young enough for the assignment, was chosen to go undercover in the facility. Sergeant Zeen, posing as a member of Black Sun, had no trouble completing the deal. A quick exchange of credits, and Cassian was on the inside.

What Alliance Intelligence, or rather Major Draven, overlooked was the fact that Cassian would be required to change into the workers' smock. The Lullaby pill sown into his cuff was out of his reach. Somehow he managed to keep the memory card Leia had given him. It was attached to a chain around his neck, disguised as an identity chip.

At first he was assigned a position in ore refinement. It was grueling, backbreaking work that left him in pain every night. Cassian found it very hard to keep up with the other children hauling ore from one side of factory to the other.

He was already small for his age and years of inadequate meals and lack of sleep, made the demanding work almost impossible. The other boys on his team began to resent the weakling in their group. The more attention they got, the more work they received. When they weren't on the supply line, Cassian had to watch his back from attacks by the other children. 

Rack time was unbearable. It was impossible to sleep when you feared someone might kill you. Meal times weren't much better. The protein starch they were fed was almost inedible, but refusing to eat wasn't an option either. Since workers had to keep up their strength, they would be force fed if required. 

He quickly came to the attention of the crew leader. The malicious man singled him out for discipline, acting as though Cassian wasn't trying hard enough. If he stumbled, the man brought a whip down on his shoulders. If he fell, he got a swift kick to the ribs. This was always followed by more work being assigned to his unit. 

Some days he was sent to the ammonia filtration center. Refinement of the ores used released high levels of the gas and would make the workers sick. The facility was equipped with a filtration unit where machines kept the toxic air from circulating back into the facility. Unfortunately, they were old and required around the clock maintenance. The filtration room itself was dangerous to work in. The machinery was large and hard to negotiate through. It didn't take long before he was permanently assigned there. His small size made it easier for him to do the required maintenance. 

For the most part, as long as the filter was working, he was able to sneak around and document the layout of the building. Security for the facility was handled by KX droids. They had their scheduled rounds and kept to them like computers.

Cassian observed the droids' movements. One in particular, the one with yellow markings, was always on rotation in the filtration center. Every thirty minutes it would sweep the room and return to another part of the building. 

He determined that the best way to shut down the facility with minimal casualties would be to sound off the alarm causing chaos as a hurried evacuation occurred. Then he could drop a wedge into the filter. When enough fumes built up it would catch fire and eventually explode. 

In order to pull this off, he needed to get a message out to the others so they would stay away from that part of the facility and be ready to extract him. His original plan involved getting into the command center twice, once to get a message out to Bravo Squad and then again to set off the alarm. Seeing the KX units, he revised his plan.

One morning he ambushed the security droid and switched it off. It only took a moment before he was able to switch out the control card with the one around his neck.

The droid blinked to life. Coming to a full standing position he looked around the room, seeing the lad in front of him. "Cassian? Where are we?" His eyes flickered. "I have a new body."

Relieved, Cassian whispered, "Quiet. I don't have a lot of time to explain. This droid is supposed to be doing his rounds. I don't want him to go missing."

"I see," he said uncertainly. "So we are in hostile territory? And I am impersonating a guard?"

Cassian nodded. "Yes, Kay. I need your help to get us out of here."

"Kay? This chassis has a different designation than the last."

"Yes. But it is still a Kay, too, security Officer class."

"K-2." The droid's eyes flickered. "I like that. What do you need me to do?" Kay asked. Cassian laid out the plan, grateful the reprogramming had worked. 

Once K-2 had hacked the system in the command room, Cassian was able to use the communications array in the filtration unit to send his message. The response he received was shocking. He was to use whatever means necessary to destroy the facility, but there would be no extraction, he was on his own. Sergeant Zeen made it clear that it was too dangerous to send anyone to help. 

Kay noticed his programmer's distraction. "Cassian, what is the matter?"

The lad looked up at him. "We are on our own. There won't be anyone to help us get out."

"Without support your plan has a 23% chance of succes and a 10% chance of survival."

"I've got you. That has to improve the odds a little," he said optimistically. 

"Not much."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you are safe."

"I can take care of myself," Kay responded indignantly. "I can also help with this sabotage you have planned."

Cassian was shocked to find tears prickling his eyes. He'd never had anyone volunteer to help him. And this non-organic being insisted on helping him.

"Alright. We need to set off the fire alarm and once the evacuations are underway we need to jam the ammonia filter motor and shut the system down."

It didn't take long for the plan to fall into place. Unfortunately, the filter went down much faster than they expected. "Kay, the system is going to fail at any time. Get out of here while you can."

"I can't leave you."

"Do it, now! Go! I'll be right behind you," he shouted desperately. Kay finally turned to leave.

As the ammonia laced smoke rushed into the room, Cassian fell to the floor. "Probably just as well," he thought. With no possible extraction, it would be better if he died instead of being captured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger. I'll try to get the next chapter posted quickly.
> 
> Others have written Kay's begining better than this.


	13. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late.

Sergeant Zeen was a bastard. Melshi heard the communication from Corporal Andor and knew he was being left behind to die. There was no way his squad would let that happen.

As the building went up in flames, Melshi tried to rush in. Cassian was in there and he would get him out or die trying. Sefla grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back as an explosion ripped through the complex. He fought with every inch of his being to get into that building. 

It took a moment to realize the other soldiers had raised their blasters. He brushed off the hands holding him and fought to see what they were aiming at. From the glow of the flames, Melshi could see the outline of a security droid coming forward. 

The droid stood upright, tension filling his frame. He had a body draped over his arms. As it moved closer, it seemed to absorb the sight of the blasters trained on it. The droid turned his back toward the blasters shielding the form he was holding. It took a moment for Melshi to realize the body was Cassian.

"Hold your fire!" he shouted rushing forward. Carefully, he approached the droid, hands in the air, hoping to convince it he meant no harm. 

Kay had heard Zeen refuse to extract Cassian. Logically, he should have left the child behind, but somehow how that wasn't an option in his programming. As far as he was concerned, he had an 87% chance of being deactivated without the boy.

As he saw the Rebel soldiers aiming at him, he calculated his chances of survival with the boy about the same. And yet, when the blasters were raised in his direction, the only thought in his circuits was to protect his human. 

As the Rebel leader came running at him, Kaytoo could only hope they were on the same side. He set Cassian down with as much care as his chassis would allow. Making eye contact with the soldier he said, "He is damaged. Can you repair him?"

Melshi knelt down next to Cassian. With a sigh of relief, he realized the boy was still breathing. There were no obvious wounds so Melshi gathered Cassian up in his arms and started for the ship. 

When the droid hesitated to follow he said, "We need to get him back to base. Come on, we have room for you too." 

If anyone had ever said Melshi would be grateful to an Imperial droid he would have called them insane. Yet today he was very grateful to K-2. Shaking the thought off, they boarded the ship and headed back to base. Zeen was nowhere to be found.

It was the voices around him that brought him back to consciousness. Blinking his eyes open, he scanned the room trying not to let anyone know he was awake. There was a pulsing sound vibrating in his ears. His head felt heavy. 

He was in the medbay, surrounded by machines. In the chair next to his bed, Mon Mothma sat, quietly working.

She lifted her head and said gently, "This needs to stop. The only time I see you is when you are so injured you spend days in sickbay. This time around, Doctor Tomin says you'll be here for more than a week. Too much damage to your lung tissue."

He nodded, his throat too sore to speak. 

"So, since you can't talk at the moment just nod or shake your head to answer my questions, alright." He nodded.

"I assume that hulking Imperial droid that came back with the team is yours? And that you want to keep it, correct?" Again he nodded, warily. "I've put a great deal of thought into this. You can keep him, but you have to follow some rules." This time he nodded more enthusiastically. 

She smiled. "First, at no time is he ever to be armed. I do not need a shoot out on base because someone misunderstands that he is on our side. Second, he is your responsibility. He either stays in your quarters or he stays by your side. And third, you are the only one allowed to touch his programming making you responsible for his actions. Agreed?"

This time Cassian tried to answer, "Yes, ma'am." His voice was barely a croak. 

"Good. Melshi will be in to check on you soon." She looked up to see the doctor frantically waving at her. "Get some rest." 

Patting his shoulder gently, she headed over to the doctor. "What is it?"

Tomin silently handed her the tablet containing the boy's medical file. "The last time he had a full exam was several years ago. Although the records reflect full yearly check-ups, I can't find any examination notes. I took the liberty of conducting a full scan. What I found concerns me. He has several old scars and healed broken bones that are not in his records."

"Any ideas on how he came to receive those injuries?" 

"All I can tell you for sure is that on three occasions several years ago, he came in here with unexplained injuries. Or rather, the explanations he gave just didn't make sense. Then he stopped coming in. These injuries have occurred since then, which was around the same time he was given the field commission. I still don't understand how a child can be given a military rank."

"Indeed. That was not my decision." She thought for a moment. "Wasn't that about the same time when Sergeant Zeen took over Cassian's training?"

The doctor glanced back at the data pad. "I think so."

Mothma nodded, "Thank you. I will look into it."

With a trouble look in her eyes, Tomin added, "In the meantime, I would like permission to limit his visitors. It would be bad for his recovery if he was upset at this time. I don't feel he is up to seeing his commanding officers just yet."

"Very well. Limit his visitors to Bravo Squad and his droid. If anyone else wishes to see him, tell them to talk to me."

"Yes, Senator," the doctor replied, relief clearly in her voice.

As Mothma left the medbay, she saw the Imperial droid hovering uncertainly by the door. "Kaytoo, is it?"

He came to immediate attention. "My designation is K-2SO, but Cassian calls me Kaytoo." 

"I'm leaving you in charge here. It is your responsibility to protect Corporal Andor. Right now, only members of Bravo Squad may see him. Ask Corporal Melshi for a list of approved personnel. Under no circumstances are Major Draven or Sergeant Zeen allowed to enter."

"I understand," he said flatly. Surprisingly, Mom Mothma thought he did. Her mind had already turned to other thoughts as she swept out of the room. 

For the past several years she had been neglectful of her responsibilities. It was time she changed that. As she entered her office she activated a holo call to Senator Organa. 

"Bail, I have a problem I need your help with. It's Cassian Andor." Quickly she filled him in on the last few days. 

As expected, the senator was not pleased. "What can I do to help?"

"He needs to get a break from this war. If you could take the boy under your wing and guide him, he might have a future."

"I definitely have the room for him and Leia will enjoy having him around."

"There is just one thing, I don't want to seperate him from his droid. I'm really not sure why, but I trust it. And I don't think Cassian would agree to leave it behind."

Bail smirked, "That won't be a problem. I already have two, a third won't be noticeable."

At that, Mon Mothma openly laughed. "You haven't met Kaytoo yet."

"I look forward to it."

"If I might suggest, Cassian is of an age where he could begin prepping for the Imperial Academy. If he agrees, we might think about sending him there to learn the Imperial ways. It would mean taking the next two years, perhaps on Alderaan, getting to know proper etiquette for cadets."

Organa nodded. "That would be useful intel for the Alliance. And perhaps he can stay out of trouble. He already has an identity that could work. There were some attempts made a few years ago to recruit him. We will have to see."

"As soon as he is healthy enough to be transported, I will make arrangements to send him to you." Her console beeped at her. "I have to take this call. I will be in touch with you soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've got at least one more chapter planned... unless anyone wants to know how the academy years go for Cassian. I have a few ideas.


	14. Finding Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassian finds a place to call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry with how long it's been between updates. I had a few bumps at work.

Cassian looked around the base he had called home for so long. It seemed strange that he might not see it for a while, if ever again. He had packed his meager belongings and did a thorough search of his quarters to make sure he didn't leave anything behind. For the first time, he didn't think he would be back.

Kaytoo towered over him at his side. Most of the Rebels gave him a wide berth, but not Melshi's squad. They had welcomed the droid as one of their own. 

For now, though, the two of them would spend significant time on Alderaan. Senator Organa had apparently requested his aid with his daughter's security detail. Cassian wasn't sure how much assistance he could give to an eight year old princess, but he liked Leia, and he owed her for saving Kaytoo. And since Kaytoo had saved his life, he figured he owed her his life, too. 

Melshi came up to him, giving him a hug. Stiffly, unsure of himself, Cassian squeezed back. He wasn't used to human affection. "Be careful out there, Cass. I didn't drag you off that frozen planet for you to get yourself killed on a crazy secret mission in paradise."

Cassian nodded. "I promise." And suddenly, it was time to go. Kaytoo had already placed his belongings aboard the transport. As he started up the ramp, he was greeted by Leia's golden droid, C-3PO. "Master Cassian, it's so good to see you again. Her highness is excited about your visit." 

A high pitched whistle from the blue astromech at his side seemed to agree. This was followed by several excited blips. "Yes, Artoo. As you can see, Master Cassian is accompanied by an Imperial Security droid."

"I have been completely reprogrammed. You have no need to worry," Kay immediately defended himself. 

"Oh, I didn't mean to imply otherwise. Senator Organa has assured the entire crew that you are perfectly harmless," Threepio said as he waved his arm at him. 

"I beg your pardon," Kaytoo started to correct, straightening up. 

Cassian cut him off. "Yes, Kaytoo is no threat to anyone in the Alliance. And we are both grateful for our invitation."

"I have been instructed by my master to treat you as family, Master Cassian. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," he replied, surprised at the prickling sensation behind his eyes. As he took his seat, he tried to brush the moisture away without anyone seeing it. Were it not for a low forlorn toot from the astromech droid, he would have thought he succeeded. 

The flight to Alderaan was surprisingly comfortable and short. This specific transport had been sent for him, so it was a luxury yacht almost straight off the assembly line. They made dock without incident and were welcomed personally by the Alderaanian Royal family. 

Cassian and K2 were shown to his rooms, plural, by an apologetic servant. "The queen and viceroy wanted to be here to greet you personally, but there was a diplomatic problem requiring immediate attention. They ask that you make yourself comfortable and are looking forward to seeing you at dinner tonight. There is appropriate evening attire in the wardrobe. And another servant will be up in," she glanced at her time piece, "three hours to help you find your way to hall. The bell pull over there will summon a servant if you need any assistance. Please don't hesitate to ask, Master Cassian."

She quietly closed the door behind her and left him alone to explore the vast space.

He had been alone less than five minutes when the door opened again and Leia came bursting into the room. "Cassian," she cried as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's so good to see you! Come on! I want to show you the palace."

Half smiling Cassian asked, "Can I at least put my stuff away?"

"No. Save that for later," she said, dragging him by one arm out of the room. "Come on Kaytoo." And with that, the three of them set off on an exploration of Leia's home. 

Cassian hoped Kaytoo could secure him a map, otherwise he would never find his way around this place. 

Leia ended her tour in the family dining room. She timed it so that they were just sitting down for the meal. Grabbing him by the hand, she dragged him over to meet her mother.

"So this is the young man I have heard so much about?" Queen Breha asked. "My husband and daughter speak very highly of you." Cassian tried to bow, but the queen refused. "None of that, now. Here you are family." She pulled him in for a hug, which he stiffly reciprocated. Brusquely, Breha continued, "Now let's eat."

Dinner was a bizarre affair for Cassian. Conversation moved fast around him and before he knew it he had eaten more in one meal than he remembered eating in a month. As desert was being served, Breha outlined her plans for the newest addition to their family. He was going to be very busy if she had her way. 

For the first time in years, he slept without a blaster under his pillow.

The next morning Cassian was being shown into the viceroy's office. Bail looked up as he entered. He came to his feet with a smile and ushered the lad into a seat. The layout of this office was so different from Draven's. It was designed to make one comfortable and feel at home. "Come, sit. How was your trip?" The questions were so normal, Cassian was almost uncomfortable. Bail seemed to genuinely care about his answers and listened on the edge of his seat.

He offered Cassian tea and some kind of sweet cake and wouldn't let him refuse. Several hours into the conversation, Bail turned the focus and finally got down to what seemed the point of this unusual interview. 

"While you are here on Alderaan, I want you to think of this as your home. Breha and I will be there for you in whatever capacity you need. I hope that one day you can come to think of this as your home." He paused looking down at his hands. "As you know, Alderaan is a peaceful planet, we have no weapons to speak of. I know you brought at least one blaster with you."

Looking uncomfortable, Cassian acknowledged, "It's an older one. Melshi gave it to me years ago and I keep it for that reason. Do you want me to-".

Bail held up his hand to stop the boy. "Getting rid of it won't be necessary. Just keep it in good repair, unloaded and away from prying eyes. I am not about to take away a family heirloom. It would just be better for everyone if we kept this to ourselves." He smiled. "Sometimes, it is impossible to take a soldier away from the fight." 

"Thank you," Cassian whispered quietly. 

"I do have one request." Bail looked him in the eye. "I angered a few people recently. In the last few weeks I have received numerous threats against my family. Breha is never outside the palace without her guards, so I am not too concerned with her safety. It's Leia I worry about. She's too young to really understand the dangers around her. She trusts people in a way that is dangerous."

"You want me to guard her?"

"Not really. She has guards. I want you to be her friend, stick by her side. Maybe one day be like the brother she never had." For a moment the senator looked almost sad. "It's not that I don't trust her guards. But Leia can be impulsive. She makes rash decisions that could put her in danger. In that respect, she is a normal child. Just be her friend."

"I can do that," Cassian said with a small smile. "She's already making plans for her summer break. They all seem to include me." He didn't seem troubled by this at all.

"And although you can't carry a blaster, nothing in our disarmament treaties prevents you from carrying a hunting knife. This one was given to me by my father, a long time ago." The knife, about six inches long, was in a holster intricately carved with the Organa coat of arms. Cassian closed his hand around the weapon. "The holster straps on to your leg. Keep in on you at all times."

"I promise," he answered solemnly.

"Now I think I have kept you long enough from your lessons. Off with you. See you at dinner." At that Cassian was out his door, looking younger than Bail had ever seen him. 

The next few months passed in a blur. Every day he sat in on the princess's lessons, learning a great deal about Alderaan and the other side of galactic politics. Every night he ate dinner with the family. It wasn't long before he was settled into this new atmosphere as if he had always been there. The good, steady food resulted in frequent fitting sessions for new clothing. He filled out and soon he was almost as tall as his mentor. It didn't take long before his hair grew out more into the Alderaanian style, flowing and almost covering his eyes. He blended in as another member of the royal family.

Eventually, most of the citizens forgot that Cassian wasn't born on Alderaan, although the purists never would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping this up seems to be taking longer than I expected. Cassian seems to want to take his time growing up.


	15. The End Of The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes full circle for Cassian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long. My computer literally ate the first draft and it took forever to get up the desire to rewrite this.

The next several months were a quiet, restful time. Cassian was able to get up in the mornings without looking over his shoulder. Not only did he feel completely safe in this new environment, but he also had Kay who refused to leave his side.

Leia followed him all around the palace and he couldn’t help but to smile at her. 

The rough times on the horizon were caused by his classes. Without any formal schooling, Cassian found it hard to learn at the same pace as his classmates. His tutor, Sindar Hoff, was frustrated by his efforts. The man had been appointed to the position at Senator Organa's request, since he was also an advisor to the Queen. He had made it clear that he was unhappy with his assignment teaching an Outsider. Especially a child who had had no formal education before.

Every week Hoff met with the Senator over his latest efforts in the classroom. After each of these meetings, Cassian would brace himself. He had the expectation that his guardians would eventually tire of his lack of progress and send him away. 

After each meeting he resolved to do better, work harder. It never occurred to him that the Senator just brushed off the tutor’s complaints. The man was genuinely proud of Cassian and all his progress. Bail saw no reason to address the complaints with the boy. 

As time passed, and Cassian received no punishment he allowed the knot in his stomach unwind. He spent more time with Leia and her droids. The little astromech droid could always make him laugh. Kay would just let out a long electronic sigh at the antics.

By the end of a cycle, Cassian felt like one of the Organas. He was included in all the formal functions as the Queen and Viceroy’s ward and made to feel as if he belonged among the people.

Yet no matter how comfortable he became in his latest surroundings, he couldn't help but think something was wrong. 

****

Cassian was late for class. His tutor was not going to be happy with him, but that was nothing new. 

He was rushing to the classroom when he heard voices around the corner and down the hall. One was his tutor. The other one was startlingly familiar. He slowed trying to place it. And just like that, he was thrown back into the war. 

“They are building a planet killer,” the newcomer said. “And if Alderaan doesn’t start to toe the line, they'll be the first to go. You must convince the Queen to formally renounce the Rebellion. The Senator needs to be on board too.”

Leaning carefully around the corner, Cassian could only see one of the two speakers. His tutor stood in the middle of the hall. The other person was just out of sight unless he wanted to risk exposure. The blood froze in his veins as he realized the voice belonged to Sergeant Galon Zeen. 

What was Zeen doing on Alderaan and what was this planet killer? From the context of the words, Cassian wasn't sure which side of the fight his former mentor was on. As the two men started down the hall, Cassian tried to step out of sight. There was nowhere to go. 

The men turned the corner as Cassian made eye contact with his former commander. There was a moment when Cassian thought Zeen wouldn't recognize him. The hope didn't last long. It took less than a second for him to acknowledge the futility in that.

One glance at the man told him this reunion would not go well. Cassian turned and ran in the direction he had come. He quickly ducked into a supply closet and pulled himself up along the shelving into a long forgotten airshaft hidden in the corner. No matter how safe he felt in the palace, he always mapped escape routes. Old habits it seemed, never went away. 

The door to the closet opened and closed again, no one noticing the dark space. 

He waited another half an hour before dropping back to the floor and edging the door open. Assured that the way was clear, Cassian slipped out the way he had come and made his way into his tutor’s office. He needed to know what Zeen was up to before he went to the Senator. The conversation could have been innocent.

A quick scan of his tutor's desk revealed a set of sketches with a name scratched in the corner. “Galen Erso" with a date. Dimensions were listed and a footnote, “planet killer.” This must be what the two men were talking about. He grabbed the sketch, folded it up, and put it in his pocket. 

Before he could search more, he heard the voices in the hall again. This time he had nowhere to hide. Using surprise as his weapon, he pushed out the door and ran between the two men trying to get away from them. 

 

*******

The pain in his side awoke Cassian. He reached out to touch the spot and felt a knife protruding from his stomach. Carefully, he probed the wound, all the while scanning his surroundings, trying to remember where he was.

As he attempted to sit up, the world spun around him. He closed his eyes again as the pressure in his head became unbearable. After a moment of fighting the pulsations, he reached for the transmitter on his collar and let the darkness take him.

Kaytoo was in a partial power down mode when he 'felt' the signal beacon Cassian had inserted into his chassis and engraved into his programming. The signal could only mean one thing: Cassian was in trouble and the droid needed to go find him.

Coming to full power, he stood and headed for the nearest information portal. A quick scan of the palace sensors let the droid know that neither Cassian or his tutor were currently in the palace. There was a note by security that Sindar had taken the boy for a field assignment. They were due back in a few hours. He noted the coordinates and set off to follow Cassian’s beacon. 

As he left the palace, he made a point to leave a message with Threepio for Bail, knowing the droid would do everything in his power to make sure the senator got the message. The protocol droid might be flighty and fretful, but he was also loyal. There was no one in the palace he trusted more to deliver the information. 

He adjusted his internal sensors to focus on Cassian's signal and pushed forward as fast as he could. Several miles away, he crested a hill looking down into the valley below him. 

There was someone in Alderaanian robes lying unmoving in the grass. Beyond him, Kay glimpsed another body. Cassian! He rushed to his side, ignoring the other person.   
The sight that greeted him would have stopped his heart if he was flesh and blood. Instead he felt an electric jolt across his systems. Cassian lay on his left side, his arm tucked protectively to his side. His right arm was flung out across the ground. He wasn't moving and from this distance, Kay couldn't tell if he was breathing. 

As careful as his clunky body would allow, Kaytoo crouched down and pushed the boy onto his back, exposing the knife. A groan from Cassian sent electric relief through his circuits. Instead of worry if he was alive, Kay could concentrate on keeping him that way.

From the few medical files he had in his system, Kay knew he couldn't just pull the weapon out, he had to be able to stop the bleeding. 

Kay looked around at the other person, and made his way over to check on him. Cassian’s dagger, the gift from the senator, protruded from the man’s throat. Silently he noted the dead man’s identity. Sindar wouldn't be teaching anymore.

He quickly removed the advisor's robes and did his best to make bandages to stop Cassian’s bleeding. After he sealed the wound the best he could, Kay gently lifted him up, making his way to back to the palace.   
It was three days later before Cassian’s concussion receded enough for him to awaken. Bail sat quietly at his bedside. Kay hovered in the corner of the room.

“I see you're awake,” the older man said as he opened his eyes. The boy merely nodded carefully. “You gave us quite a scare again, young one. Can you tell me what happened?”

Cassian started to answer, then realized he didn't know what the answer was. Instead, he shook his head carefully. “I don’t remember. I was late for class. And then--" he broke off, unable to continue.

“I see,” Bail responded, and Cassian thought he really did. The man picked something up off a side table. It was a crude drawing with the words “planet killer” and the name “Galen Erso” written on it. “This was in your pocket. Do you know where you got this?”

Taking the drawing in hand Cassian looked at it in confusion. “No. It seems familiar, but--,” He stopped as his headache became much worse. 

“No matter. We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, you concentrate on getting better.” The senator paused before continuing, “I think, given the fact that someone here on Alderaan just tried to kill you, we should move up the timetable a little bit. For your own protection, I want to send you to the Imperial Academy this term, instead of the next one.”

Cassian looked down at the bed, his fingers fidgeting in the sheets. “I understand,” he said quietly.

“I don't think you do. I don't make this decision lightly, but I think you will be safer there. I’ve sent the enrollment requirements, you would leave after you recover.’

“Yes, sir.”

Bail put his hand over Cassian's, stopping him from twisting the sheets further. “Young one, I am very proud of you. I make this decision to protect you, not to hurt you. It is no longer safe here on Alderaan. And we have been preparing for this time.”

“I know,” the boy whispered.

“While we can’t go with you, I have made arrangements with the Academy for you to bring your personal Security droid with you. I was able to pull some strings and convince the commandant to leave Kaytoo as he is. I think you will need a friendly face.” Looking at the droid, Bail added, “and he has shown his loyalty to you once again. He saved your life this time.”

Surprised, and secretly pleased, Cassian looked at his droid. “Thank you, Kaytoo.”

The droid made eye contact with him. “It is becoming a habit of yours to need me. I think we could skip the thanks.”

Cassian almost smiled at that. 

A moment later Bail stood up and moved to leave. “I will be in later to check on you. The doctor says you will be here at least a week.” He raised a hand as Cassian made to argue. “I agree with him. You lost a lot of blood and that head injury is not something to take lightly. Rest. The real world will be waiting for you.” He leaned down and gave Cassian a brief hug, and then he was gone. 

The boy sat in shock at the touch until Kay turned his attention. “You seem to attract trouble wherever you go. I estimate a 90 percent probability you will need me again.”

“Thanks Kay,” Cassian whispered quietly.

“You’re welcome,” The droid responded quietly. 

Cassian looked down at the paper in his hand. He wished he knew where he got it. What was a ‘planet killer’, and who was Galen Erso?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the epilogue to go. A big thank you to everyone who stuck with this. If I made any major mistakes, please let me know.


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This brings us back to the opening scene.

“Then he went off to the Academy and it was a long time before we saw him again,” Melshi told her. 

A noise at the door turned Jyn’s attention away from the soldier. Cassian was leaning against the door frame, a small smile on his lips. “I hate to break up this gossip session, but if we don't get moving Leia is going to send a search party. It's truly bad form to be late for you're wedding party."

A quick look passed between the two men. Cassian smiled at his mentor. It had been a long road, and they still had a long road ahead of them. 

Nodding, Jyn thanked Melshi again and reached for her husband. As they walked out of the room, the soldier heard her ask, “So, would Cadet Willix be the same young aspiring pilot I met in a bar on Catari several years ago?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story started out as a short backstory for my Homecoming sequel. I never intended it to be as long as it is. I've already written several chapters of that story, Past Shadows, which I will start posting shortly.
> 
> Thanks to my faithful readers, NewLeeland, Rover-Kelevra and aewgliriel for sticking with me.


End file.
